Extra Extra, Read all about it ~ House Beautiful Presents..

Another great issue of House Beautiful hits the news stands today ~ so before you rush out and get your copy.. 




I have a special treat to share with you. 
An advance look at one of the highlighted designers this month -

Connie Newberry. 







I felt particularly inspired by the subtle menage of color, pattern and styles that Connie Newberry used when designing her home and in doing so was very successful in establishing a warm and inviting family home (she has three boys!) that doesn't seem staged or posed, but instead very real and timeless. 

Join me, as she opens the doors to her stunning Hudson Valley home.

"Lunch is often eaten outdoors at the teak table and chairs during summer and fall. "

The flamingo, painted by British artist William Skilling, “is fun,” Newberry says.
It hangs over an 18th century Welsh dresser. Custom carpet by Beauvais.

Watermelon colored curtains and yellow piping on leather-covered 18th-century Italian chairs add to the warmth in the dining room while in the library, a sofa covered in Holland & Sherry moleskin blends into the walls. A coffee table from Gerald Bland “adds the pop of red every room needs,” Newberry says and a touch of modern "Antelope" in the carpet by Stark.

Connie creates a classic, All-American look in her home, with a blend of animal patterns, botanical prints, and chintz, which adds cheerful vibrancy to each room. Her combination of patterns and colors creates an old-fashioned, warm, inviting atmosphere.

The kitchen is the hub of the house, with room for a desk and a big breakfast table. 

“I thought the more formal 18th-century lyre-back chairs combined with the 19th-century French farmhouse table was an interesting juxtaposition,” Newberry says. The high back of the banquette hides any mess on the mahogany-topped island. A pair of lamps by Vaughan “makes it feel more like a room and less of a kitchen.” The cabinetry is painted in her favorite creamy white, Benjamin Moore’s Linen White. - CN

"..Not everyone would choose red walls for a guest room. I know. But you can be more adventurous because no one is going to be sleeping there all the time—hopefully.
Red is very warm, and it sets off the chintz. .. I didn't want guests to come in and think they were going to be eaten alive by those giant apples and pears. So I quilted it to take the edge off. ...The quilting also creates another layer of pattern. And a kind of patina. Although that wasn't a problem here - Having three boys around definitely added to the patina very quickly."- CN

The red walls in the guest room are both warm and surprising,” says Newberry, who chose the paint color—Chili Pepper by Benjamin Moore—to complement one of her favorite chintzes by Brunschwig & Fils. A 19th-century Chinese screen from Gerald Bland and a leopard-spotted chest in whimsical green add more layers of color, pattern,and texture. Carpet by Stark. Bed linens by Schweitzer. Tortoise blinds by Smith & Noble.

Connie Newberry: "I love chintz! The 

combination of colors adds a vibrancy 

to a room  that even a bunch of bright 

solid fabrics can’t give you." 

So chintz is your time capsule?

CN: "Exactly. ... 

I think there’s a comfort factor 

to it. When you walk into a room with 

chintz on the curtains or on a chair, 

it brings back happy memories. You 

let your guard down. There’s a lack 

of pretense to it, as opposed to silk or 

damask.

It’s good, classic American 

decorating." 

Another American classic—a ticking stripe—perks up a boy’s room

Wallpaper in the bathroom .. Oh YES! Soothing greys, whites get a great kick of color from the dark emerald (very on trend) green in the towels and accents in this bathroom.

A large-scale pattern on the wallcovering by Katie Ridder for Holland & Sherry

makes the master bath feel bigger. 

So enjoy the rest of the home in the April issue of House Beautiful, and let me know which room was YOUR favorite!

Here is a great little video from House Beautiful in 2011 that shows Connie's sense of humor, and .. her love of Frogs!?!

3 Questions With Connie Newberry 

The designer on frogs, chintz, and grouping a collection en masse.

 

All images courtesy of House Beautiful.

Article: Produced by David M. Murphy Styled by Gregory Bissonnette

Interior design by Connie Newberry Interview by Christine Pittel Photographs by Jonny Valiant